Pioneer Dupont sets up Research Centre in Azapa valley
Published: March 13, 2009
The company, which produces and markets seeds in over 70 countries, invested US$ 19 million to develop specialized agriculture and research in the area.
The U.S. company Pioneer DuPont - devoted to research, cultivation and marketing of seeds that are resistant to diseases, droughts and plagues - chose the Arica y Parinacota Region to set up its Agricultural Experimental Station. Located in the Azapa valley, this centre will create 96 permanent jobs and 210 temporary posts for professionals and technicians in the region.
The research centre was opened by the Executive Vice-President (CEO) of CORFO, Carlos Álvarez; the Regional Governor, Luis Rocafull; and the General Manager of Semillas Pioneer Chile, Álvaro Eyzaguirre. The centre comprises a modern infrastructure of greenhouses, agronomic laboratories and micro-programming laboratories to produce the latest corn varieties for the overseas market.
Pioneer DuPont chose the northern Region of Arica y Parinacota due to its excellent geographic features and climatic conditions. Being located in the southern hemisphere, Chile's off-season production is able to reduce the time needed to develop varieties, since it is possible to carry out experiments all year round.
With a total investment of close to US$ 19 millon, the project received a public subsidy of around US$ 900,000 through CORFO's InvestChile program. The arrival of the biotechnology multinational in Arica y Parinacota provides an alternative for local development and consolidates the region as an area for investment in specialized agriculture and research.
Due to the specialized knowledge required by the agronomists, biologists and biotechnologists that will work in this centre, the company signed a long-term agreement with the Universidad de Tarapacá and the Instituto Santo Tomás, both in the area. These institutions will be responsible for training the technical and professional personnel required to research and develop new varieties of corn.
Carlos Álvarez, Executive Vice-President of CORFO, stressed that "Pioneer's project can be seen as the coordination of existing resources in Arica, making it a world class business venture. It takes advantage of the region's excellent climate, the highly-skilled local personnel, Chile's phytosantiary standards, the availability of modern infrastructure, and the high regard which foreign investors have for Chile. In this sense, it is an invitation to other companies to come to know the benefits of our country and to provide them with the best productive resources".